Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 92

Shen Lai stiffened.

She looked up at Pei Jingyan’s teasing, half-smiling expression and quickly realized he was deliberately provoking her.

This time, she didn’t fall for it. With a huff, she said, “In your dreams. I’m not kissing you.”

Pei Jingyan lowered his chin and chuckled softly as he took in her fair, turned-away profile. “Seems you’re not that dumb after all.”

His voice, usually deep and indifferent, now carried a playful, indulgent tone. Unable to resist, Shen Lai turned back to look at him. Bathed in the morning sunlight, his striking handsomeness was almost blinding, as if he were gilded with a faint golden glow.

Her heart skipped a beat. After a long pause, she bit her lip and awkwardly murmured, “But… I still want to thank you.”

No matter what, Pei Jingyan had helped her immensely.

Without him, her mother wouldn’t have received such excellent medical treatment, and her father wouldn’t have been released from prison so quickly.

Meeting her sincere gaze, Pei Jingyan replied leisurely, “Since we’re married, your parents are now my parents. It’s only right that I do these things for them.”

Though he said so, both of them knew Pei Jingyan didn’t actually need to go this far.

Yet he had, without asking for anything in return.

That familiar fluttering sensation returned to Shen Lai’s chest. Her cheeks warmed just as their ride arrived. Hastily changing the subject, she said, “Uh… the car’s here. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for his response, she quickly climbed inside, avoiding his gaze.

Pei Jingyan had come to realize that whenever Shen Lai felt embarrassed, she’d flee in a fluster. The thought tugged a faint smile onto his lips as he leisurely followed her into the car.

With the rare reunion of her family, Shen Lai spent the next few days visiting her parents at the hospital after work.

Perhaps because Shen Lingzhen had been released, Chang Suning’s condition improved significantly. Even the doctors said she could soon return home to recuperate once her condition stabilized.

Shen Lai finally felt at ease.

Her greatest wish now was simply for her family to stay safe and together.

Shen Lingzhen had initially considered restarting his company, but Shen Lai stopped him the moment he brought it up.

“Dad, my career’s taking off now. I can support you and Mom. Just enjoy your retirement at home,” she said earnestly.

Since appearing on the variety show with Pei Jingyan, Shen Lai’s popularity had skyrocketed, and her schedule was packed to the brim.

If not for her pregnancy limiting the physically demanding jobs she could take, she might’ve earned even more.

Chang Suning also opposed Shen Lingzhen starting a business again. Not only would he have to start from scratch, but the trauma of Han Xinjie’s scheme that landed him in prison still haunted her. If something like that happened again, his future would be ruined.

Besides, given his age, whether he could handle the stress was another matter and even if he did rebuild the company, Shen Lai wouldn’t take over.

After much persuasion, Shen Lingzhen finally abandoned the idea.

By the time Shen Lai returned from the hospital, it was already evening. Stepping into the living room, she found it unusually quiet.

Pei Jingyan was usually back by this time.

Just then, Butler Sun approached. “Miss Shen, the nutritionist has prepared dinner.”

Shen Lai asked in confusion, “Isn’t Pei Jingyan coming back for dinner tonight?”

Housekeeper Sun replied, “Mr. Pei said he has some matters to attend to and won’t be home for dinner tonight.”

Shen Lai paused, “Not coming back?”

Housekeeper Sun nodded, “That’s what Mr. Pei said.”

Shen Lai wondered to herself, was Pei Jingyan working overtime at the company?

She didn’t dwell on it too much and followed Butler Sun to the kitchen.

In the past, whenever Shen Lai returned, Pei Jingyan would always have dinner with her. Today was a rare exception, and the dining table was eerily quiet, so quiet that even the clinking of dishes and chopsticks could be heard clearly.

Shen Lai found herself uncharacteristically unsettled.

Even though they hardly spoke during meals, there was something distinctly different about tonight.

After just a few bites, Shen Lai set down her chopsticks. Noticing she had barely touched her food, the nutritionist asked, “Miss Shen, did you not like tonight’s dinner?”

Shen Lai, who had been glancing toward the courtyard, turned back and smiled at the nutritionist. “No, it’s just that I don’t have much of an appetite. It’s not because of you.”

Right after dinner, Shen Lai received a call from Wu Qi, who wanted to invite her out for some shopping.

Since the variety show had ended, the two hadn’t seen each other. With nothing else to do that evening, Shen Lai agreed and arranged a time and place to meet.

After changing her clothes, Shen Lai took a taxi to the mall, where Wu Qi was already waiting.

Wu Qi was dressed discreetly, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Compared to her, Shen Lai might as well have been strolling down the street naked.

Wu Qi looked at Shen Lai in surprise. “How could you go out dressed like that?”

Shen Lai glanced down at herself. “What’s wrong with it?”

Wu Qi sighed. “My dear, do you still think you’re that obscure eighteen-tier celebrity from before? Aren’t you afraid of getting photographed like this?”

Shen Lai didn’t really feel the impact of her newfound fame. To her, the only noticeable difference was the increased number of paparazzi during work, nothing else seemed to have changed.

Wu Qi gestured at herself. “Look how I’m dressed and I’m just a nobody in the music industry. You, on the other hand, have no idea how many fans you’ve gained recently. Your name has been dominating Weibo’s trending lists this entire month.”

After the incidents involving Bai Hansui’s self-directed drama and Shen Lingzhen’s framing were exposed, Shen Lai had gained millions of followers in just a few days. Public opinion of her had shifted from widespread criticism to overwhelming sympathy.

Now, any post mentioning Shen Lai’s name easily garnered tens of thousands of likes.

Wu Qi decided to lend Shen Lai her cap and mask, after all, as someone from the music industry, she wasn’t important enough to warrant paparazzi attention.

As they walked through the mall, Wu Qi suddenly said, “By the way, have you heard? Dai Jingxuan and Tong Miaoling were recently exposed as having been divorced for a while now.”

This was news to Shen Lai, who never paid attention to Weibo gossip. Surprised, she asked, “When did this happen?”

“The day after our variety show was suspended. It blew up on Weibo that same night,” Wu Qi said with a sigh. “Turns out they’ve been divorced for a year but kept it quiet to maintain their online personas.”

No wonder Shen Lai had always found their interactions on the show a bit odd, they had already been estranged.

Shen Lai frowned. “If they’ve been divorced for so long, how come no one found out earlier?”

Wu Qi shrugged. “No idea. Maybe after the show made them more famous, more people came forward with information.”

Something about this didn’t sit right with Shen Lai, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She pressed further, “And then what happened?”

“Then the two had no choice but to admit they had already divorced and publicly apologize.”

But netizens weren’t having any of it. After all, the pair had participated in Rumors End on the Journey under the guise of being a married couple, didn’t that amount to deceiving their fans?

As a result, their comment sections were flooded with backlash, with people demanding they leave the industry.

Hearing this, Shen Lai felt a pang of guilt. Didn’t that mean she and Pei Jingyan were also deceiving their fans?

Because even though they had gotten their marriage certificate, they weren’t truly husband and wife.

As they strolled along, Wu Qi suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t that President Pei?”

Following her gaze, Shen Lai spotted Pei Jingyan seated by the floor-to-ceiling window of an upscale restaurant. The dim lighting outlined his striking profile, candlelight flickering against his deep-set, chiseled features.

And right across from him sat a tall, stunning woman. The two were chatting and laughing, looking unmistakably close.